Revolution trailer turns off the lights

CB Droege, 15th May 2012

NBC and Warner Bros. Television have released a trailer for their upcoming dystopian adventure serial Revolution.

We’ve come across a few sparse details about Revolution over the last few weeks, but this trailer gives us a much better look at what the show is going to be like.

It seemed from the previous synopses that the show would take place immediately after an event that drains the world of its energy, but now we see the primary story follows a group of people living in the affected world 15 years after the event - apparently with flashbacks and expositions. As expected, someone, somewhere does have power, and is using it in secret.

Frankly, the trailer reminds me a lot of Jericho, what with armed militias and the secret use of power, which obviously isn't a bad thing for a series to include. That being said, with the mysterious power conspiracy, and the amount of elapsed time, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see lots of flashbacks throughout the show as the characters and audience try to piece together what happened and how it may be fixed.

We also have a couple of interviews, via sci-fi Mafia, with producer J.J. Abrams and director Jon Favreau:

In addition, there is the following synopsis, which makes a lot more sense than previous, less succinct summaries.

Our entire way of life depends on electricity. So what would happen if it just stopped working? Well, one day, like a switch turned off, the world is suddenly thrust back into the dark ages. Planes fall from the sky, hospitals shut down, and communication is impossible. And without any modern technology, who can tell us why?

Now, 15 years later, life is back to what it once was long before the industrial revolution: families living in quiet cul-de-sacs, and when the sun goes down, the lanterns and candles are lit. Life is slower and sweeter. Or is it?

On the fringes of small farming communities, danger lurks. And a young woman’s life is dramatically changed when a local militia arrives and kills her father, who mysteriously – and unbeknownst to her – had something to do with the blackout. This brutal encounter sets her and two unlikely companions off on a daring coming-of-age journey to find answers about the past in the hopes of reclaiming the future.